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In her evidence, wife Lee-Anne Atkins said Mr Atkins told hospital staff he did not want to take opioids for fear he would become dependent on them, but was reassured by a doctor there would be no possibility of addiction during his short stay.

She said she told hospital staff her husband had been diagnosed with sleep apnoea - a condition that makes a patient more susceptible to opioid overdose.

The inquest also heard from Dr Cheryl Charlwood , a forensic pathologist who performed an autopsy on Mr Atkins.

Dr Charlwood said his opioid levels "certainly represent a valid reason for death to occur" but could not determine whether or not they were definitely the cause.

Outside court, Ms Atkins, flanked by three of her children and her husband's parents, said she hoped the inquest would shed light on the case.

"He went into hospital for some tests and we expected him to come out and so we just hope that the coronial inquest will find some answers," she said.